Charles A. Forbes Jr., Lumber Executive

Charles Armstrong Forbes Jr., a Reisterstown lumber company executive and outdoorsman, died Saturday from complications of a stroke at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was 90.

Mr. Forbes was born in Baltimore and raised in Towson. He was a 1936 graduate of Towson High and earned a degree in chemical engineering from the Johns Hopkins University in 1942.

After serving in naval intelligence during World War II, Mr. Forbes joined his brother, James Forbes, and his father, Charles A. Forbes Sr., who had purchased the Reisterstown Lumber Co. in 1933.

Mr. Forbes had not retired.

"He worked the day before his stroke and generally put in at least 30 hours a week," said a granddaughter, Gretchen Forbes Soirez.

Mr. Forbes was married to the former Edith Reidt in 1942, and lived in Reisterstown for 60 years where they raised their four children. Mrs. Forbes died in 2002.

He was a member of the Reisterstown Lions Club, the Kiwanis Club and the St. Andrew's Society of Baltimore. Mr. Forbes enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping.

He was a longtime member of Glyndon United Methodist Church and in recent years attended Westminster Bible Church.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. today at Glyndon United Methodist Church, 4713 Butler Road.

Also surviving are his wife of seven years, the former Paulette Engles; three sons, Dr. Charles E. Forbes of Millville, N.J., Richard R. Forbes of Cockeysville and Dr. David P. Forbes of Carpenterville, Ill.; a daughter, Patricia F. Mowell of Chestertown; a sister, Edith F. Spinks of Winston-Salem, N.C.; six other grandchildren; and four stepsons, Jared Barrow of Hanover, Pa., Aaron Christman and Dallas Christman, both of Reisterstown, and Mitchell Christman of Westminster.